New York Museums

When you visit New York you will want to take the time to visit all the museums in New York. Visiting a Museum can help you understand the history behind the state, the cultures, and the people that have resided in the past and still do today. A museum is also a great place to take children while you are vacationing or visiting New York. Teaching children about the history of a place is a great way to increase their knowledge and spark an interest in that state.

With over six different museums in New York you will be able to find one that is close to where you are staying and visit it more than once. Sometimes you see more the second trip then you did the first trip. The museums in New York offer a wide variety of displays that will showcase their interest and culture during a certain time period. Here are a list of New York Museums and what you can expect to see in all of them.

American Museum of Natural History

This museum focuses on the scientific aspect of past and modern art. This museum displays all you need to know about plant life, animals, and different rocks that you might find in New York. It offers permanent displays as well as the new displays of arts that you can view when you visit. Be sure to call ahead first to make sure that you can go during hours and find out how much it cost per person.

The Museum of Modern Art

Also known as MoMA, this museum was founded back in 1929 in hopes of preserving the collection of art work that they already possessed. The purpose that the Museum of Modern Art hopes to accomplish is to instill a sense of folk art tradition that you can only find there in New York. The exhibits display over 250 different pieces that include the ceremony, recreation, culture and more.

Metropolitan Museum of Art

This museum is known as the largest museum. There are several permanent exhibits as well as those exhibits that are temporarily there for viewing. Some of the most fascinating exhibits to see are Arms and Armor which allows you to step back in time to the popular era when Armor could be worn. Travel on to see Ancient near Eastern Art, Arts of Africa Oceania and the Americas. You may also be interested in the Asian Art collection as well as the Cloisters. You can see how the proper attire has changed over the last seven centuries when you view the display of costume and dress for men, women, and children.

Guggenheim Museum

Here you will find your step back in time to be the most memorable. You can visit the Frank Lloyd Wright’s masterpiece, there has been several changes made to the Guggenheim museum in order to present the masterpieces in the way that they need to be displayed.

Museum of Television and Radio

This is one museum that everyone shares a common interest in. Everyone has television and radio now, but what about the past when there were not very many who had access to them? Learn about all the different changes that were made to the television and radio to give us what we have today.

Whitney Museum of Modern Art

This museum offers a collection of the 20^th century art display. You will enjoy viewing over 12,000 pieces of art work that includes sculpting, drawing, photos, prints, paintings and more.

The California Wine Country for Your Honeymoon

How about a visit to California’s wine country for your honeymoon destination?

When you visit California you can’t help but make a stop at the wine country. California has 58 counties and out of those 58, there are 46 counties that are producing wine. California’s climate allows for optimal soil and growing conditions. With so many counties involved in growing wine the state of California offers several different events and activities geared toward the wine. Wine tasting can be quite enjoyable and educational as well. Sampling the wine is very important in order to appreciate the difference in the wines. California wineries are a old business that have been around for generations. Winery’s take a long time to perfect and to raise the grapes just right for picking.

If you want to arrange for a tour of the winery you need to do some checking around to find out the schedule, be sure to tell them you are on your honeymoon for that extra special service (and trust me, they will do just that!). Each one offers a schedule of tours and wine tasting and some require an appointment before touring. The wineries take their tours seriously and they offer the tourists several different options. When wine tasting is in season you will be able to access an endless amount of wineries. Each winery is different and they have their own set of rules. These rules include the number of guests per party and hours available to tour some require an appointment ahead of time.

Wine tours are scheduled around harvest time when everything is ready and being processed. Other events you may get to see while at the winery include crush events, concerts and auctions of vintage wines, balloon rides over the vineyards, gardens for the perfect atmosphere, museums of the winery and the vineyards, local restaurants come to the festival to display their variety of dishes, and other recreational activities that will make your visit to the winery the most enjoyable.

Because after several wine tasting events you may find that driving is difficult, you and your newly wed spouse may decide to rent a limo which will offer you a safe ride to and from the winery.  If you drive yourself, a lot of the roads leading to the wineries include long, narrow winding roads. It is important to drive slowly and carefully if you decide to drive yourself. They are well off the beaten path and you may not realize how long it takes you to travel to each vineyard. There are also hotels, motels and fantastic resorts to stay at near the vineyards that make beautiful honeymoon stops. Stay at just one or travel up and down the area and enjoy a few.  Many of the hotels and resorts offer spa packages as well as wine tasting tours, so check with them before booking your tour to save a few bucks.

Because California is so big you may not know where to go in order to find a winery. Here is the way that it is divided out:

Northern California offers the Napa Valley and Mendocino Wine sections

Central California offers Paso Robles, San Luis Obispo, Monterey Wine and Santa Barbara wine sections.

Southern California offers Temecula and San Diego wine sections.

The Central Valley offers Livermore, Clarksburg, Amador, Calaveras, Lodi, and Sierra wine sections.

There are so many places to enjoy during your stay. Viewing each vineyard is a picture perfect memory that will last you forever.

How to Get A Free HoneyMoon

The honeymoon after a wedding can be very expensive. It can pose an unnecessary burden to the new couple or the family. You can go on your honeymoon for free if you have it well planned in advance and are smart about it. After you have determined where you will honeymoon and the amount needed for your trip and all necessities, take that number and put it aside- time to find it free.

Tip #1

There will always be people who will ask you what would you like as a wedding gift. Ask those individuals for cash, a loaded cash card, or a donation made to the honeymoon destination of your choice. Cash, however, is indeed king and you can buy whatever you want including your honeymoon package.

Tip #2

Contact a new resort that has not been widely publicized, or perhaps an old resort that is offering specials. You can offer to write a review or document your honeymoon trip and get paid or receive a large discount on your trip for doing so. Not all resorts will do this, but if you search around and ask your local travel agents or even call the resorts on your own, sometimes you cna work out a great deal. This has worked really well at some of the smaller B&B’s that are looking for free publicity.
Tip #3

Join a honeymoon registry at. That’s right. Most people just sign up for a general bridal registry; then they pick out china, knives, linen, etc. You end up getting just those things. A honeymoon registry provides gift givers an opportunity to purchase services at the place of your honeymoon, such as a spa treatment or dinner for two. The gift givers can also give quantities (of their choosing) of cash to your registry that can be used toward your package or services at your travel site. This concept is not widely known and is under utilized. Its a fantastic concept because its pretty much the same as friends and family giving you cash for your honeymoon, but its more personal. Get enough gift givers to your honeymoon registry site and you will get your honeymoon for free along with the extras such as massages, facials, tours, etc.

Tip #4

Place a small money tree at every table at the wedding reception. This gives everyone a chance to give something. This is especially true for those persons who are too embarrassed to give smaller amounts of cash. You can also hold a cash dance in which people donate dollars to dance to dance with the bride and or groom.

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Planning Your Honeymoon Destination

When you begin to plan for your wedding you will need to plan for all the details of your big event. In fact, you also need to plan for something after your wedding, your honeymoon destination. Traditionally the honeymoon should be planned by the groom. However, it will make more sense if both you and your husband-to-be are planning the honeymoon together.

How to Plan a Honeymoon Together:

Similar to your wedding planning, the best way to plan for your honeymoon is to plan together. Since it is the first time you two travel together as a married couple. You do not want to be disappointed during your honeymoon. As a result, it will be better if all the decisions about the honeymoon is agreed by both of you.

The Honeymoon Destination

There is no definite formula to choose your honeymoon destination. You should just choose the destination based on both of your preferences. If both of you would like adventures, you might want to consider a honeymoon in Africa or Europe. Perhaps something quite and adventurous, Antarctica can be quite romantic in with the white scenery and all the little penguins and other animals in the area.

If you believe your honeymoon is meant to be relaxing, you might prefer a place like Bali as your destination. Sometimes just enjoying the sun shine on the beach and the beautiful tranquil views is the perfect plan. On the contrary, you may also consider places like India or Nepal if you love to explore different cultures. The key is that you should select a destination that both of you feel interested.

The Season

Another issue you have to consider is the season in your honeymoon destination. It may not be a good idea if you plan to join the hiking tour in Nepal during summer, which is the monsoon season. The season is even more important if you really choose to go to Antarctica. You can only go to Antarctica during the summer (in the southern hemisphere). Of course there will be less problem if your honeymoon destination is places with equatorial climate, such as Indonesia and northern Brazil.

The Budget

As for your wedding items, you need to consider the budget for your honeymoon. The tradition is that the groom should pay for the expenses of the honeymoon. However, I will suggest you forget all this tradition and try to plan the budget together. There is nothing wrong if both of you contribute to the expenses.

Undoubtedly, the destination will affect your expenses a lot. Traveling to Antarctica is certainly more expensive than traveling to Mexico (if you are living in the U.S.). However, you can try to save some money from your wedding items and use the extra for your honeymoon. At the end of the day the cost for your honeymoon is usually only a fraction of that of your wedding.

Planning for your honeymoon is not an easy task. If you can plan it well, however, I am sure that you will have a really memorable honeymoon.

The best time of the year to visit….

I can’t tell you how many times a customer will ask us what the best time of the year is to go to their destination. What’s interesting is that it isn’t just a matter of seasons being different in the tropics–there’s weather patterns that are very different in Fiji vs. Tahiti vs. Hawaii vs. the Caribbean…and I’m not just talking about hurricanes. Pricing varies a lot between low season and high season, and it’s very important to know EXACTLY when low season starts, as sometimes moving your departure date for your honeymoon just a few days can save you 20% or so on your air and hotel.

Of course we’ve written about this in each of our travel guides in a lot of detail, so here’s the links straight to those pages for your convenience:

• Best time to go to Hawaii
• Best time to go to Tahiti
• Best time to go to Fiji
• Best time to go to the Cook Islands

The Green Bride Guide

The eco trend of reduce, reuse and recycle has entered the famously over-the-top wedding space. One bride, Kate L. Harrison, as incorporated her experiences on planning a green wedding into a book, the Green Bride Guide. It’s not due out until the start of the 2008 engagement season – the holidays – but she’s blogging with plenty of eco wedding advice. My favorite suggestion of hers so far is the time-consuming but beautiful use of small-increment stamps.

Plan a US Train Trip For Your Honeymoon

The top US train trips can go anywhere from a few days to a few weeks, and they can include lodging at upscale resorts and hotels. You might be cash strapped or looking toward meeting a budget for your honeymoon. However, a train trip can be a great experience, in that you can see a lot of the US through the windows of a train. Imagine: this was the way that people used to travel, and they relied heavily on it, so can you picture yourself traveling this way? Train trips, therefore, are not just excursions through the U.S., they are also a way for you to get in good touch with your history. You will need to invest a lot of time in order to enjoy your train trip, but not a lot of money in order to enjoy it.

So now that you have to get down and plan that U.S. train trip with your spouse to be, you may be thinking about how you should go about it. You might want to take one of the top U.S. train trips through the continent, which will allow you to see a lot of major sights, and to enjoy what the country has to offer. One of he top trips includes foliage tours of New England and Canada in the fall. This can be a great way to show your children the beautiful colors of autumn. Introduce your children to nature via the Yosemite Sugar Pine Mountain Railroad. Or you can go to the California State Railroad museum in order to show your kids how trains have evolved, and how people back then were very much dependent on them.

There are many different tours that you can take, and they can be as simple as a sightseeing tour, or as educational as a visit to a museum, natural park, or historical site. For instance, your children would probably be excited to see the Grand Canyon up close, and you could couple this with an earth sciences lesson on how the Grand Canyon came to be. There are train trips through the Grand Canyon, and your family might enjoy going through such a trip. Or you can take a trip through the country, from Chicago to San Francisco, on the Amtrak Zephyr. This two-day journey will allow you to go through different states, see different landscapes and pass through many different natural parks. Your children will come away with a better understanding of the country, as well as a better appreciation for nature.

There are many different factors that come into play as well when you start planning your trip. First, what is your budget? Are you looking at thousands of dollars in spending, or just a few hundreds? There might be discounts that you can avail of as a newlywed couple, as there are train tours that give special packages for those honeymooning.

These are only a few things that you should be looking into as you plan a U.S. train trip with your spouse to be. For more information, talk to your travel agent or tour guide so that you can have the best packages available for your needs and budget.

Vacation Rentals in Aruba for Your Honeymoon

Have you always envisioned a tropical beach as your honeymoon destination? Perhaps, you don’t like staying in hotels. You might even be considering a destination wedding which means a larger group to find accommodations for…

You might even just want to stretch your honeymoon budget in these uncertain economic times. You should consider renting a single family house, cottage, condo or townhouse in Aruba instead of staying in a hotel.

Lots of people prefer staying in a vacation rental because vacation rentals feel much more comfortable and home-like. If you are traveling with a group then vacation rentals can be cheaper than a hotel because each person can chip in to cover the cost of the rental. If you are planning on staying in Aruba for more than a week then renting a vacation home or townhouse or condo or cottage is usually much more cost effective then staying in a hotel.

Just because you’re in a vacation rental doesn’t mean that you have to go without all the luxuries of a hotel during your honeymoon stay. There are some resorts that don’t have a main hotel like structure, but instead are just clusters of small cottages on a private beach or on private land. Usually there is one small villa that acts as the office so that guests can check in and get things that they need.

These places offer housekeeping services, laundry service, and concierge services:all the amenities you would find in big hotel. Some of them even offer grocery service and will send employees to local markets to pick up food for you to keep in the villa. You can save a lot of money on food if you are living in a vacation rental that has a full size refrigerator and a stove so that you can keep groceries in the house and cook at home for some meals instead of eating out for every meal.

Eating out at every meal isn’t very good for you, and it also get to be very expensive if you’re eating out for three meals a day everyday for a week or more. Think of what an entire vacation of eating out would cost a family of four, and you’ll see that the price of a vacation rental is much more economical than staying in a hotel and eating out every day.

Plus, you just can’t beat the privacy and freedom of a vacation rental. If you get a beach front rental cottage in Aruba for two weeks for your honeymoon, then every time you want to walk on the beach or sit on the beach or sit by the water and read a book all you have to do is step out the front door. You can take a nap with all the windows open and enjoy the wonderful cross breezes that help keep the island of Aruba cool.

You won’t be disturbed by crowds of other tourists or noisy guests. Some vacation cottages even have private beaches so you and your new spouse can spend some quality time together. Isn’t that what vacation is for? To relax, reconnect, and recharge? Renting a vacation cottage or a vacation home in Aruba instead of staying in a hotel can make your honeymoon vacation the best you’ve ever had.

Visiting Tips For Maui, Hawaii’s Hana Highway

Visiting Maui, Hawaii for your honeymoon destination? Make a complete stop over at Hana. From Kaanapali, going to Hana is one consuming and tiring trip which can be regarded as increased in time consumption and mileage. Although, a trip to Maui wouldn’t be complete without being on the Hana Highway.

To avoid being caught up traveling in a flaring afternoon, better pack your things early and leave even before the sun rises. This will give you more time to plan what to do because it is an assurance that you won’t be back till evening falls. Time travel is affected due to the numerous curves which are very sharp indeed and those fifty plus single bridges that will definitely come your way, but most of all, you need a lot of time because of the several stops that you have and which you wouldn’t want to resist doing.

It is recommended that you are equipped with the right mapping and instructional equipments when traveling through rough roads because you might have some difficulty in going to that point. Although, you need not worry because in terms of traveling, it is definitely safely incorporated with the sharp curves and fixed single-bridged roads. By the time you have figured out the twists and turns and how to outrun it, you can already compete with Gran Prix races.

While traveling, you will start to appreciate different sights like one of the popular Ke’anea Peninsula. This portrays just one of the most wonderful sights going to Hana. Don’t hesitate to travel down the peninsula and before you leave, catch a glimpse of the taro fields. You may also want to take a quick reroute to the Pua’aka’a Park wherein a beautiful waterfall is at its core.

Encounter the famous black sand beach which is located at the Wai’anapanapa Park. Inside the park, walk down into the lair of the lava tube right beside the beach. You will catch a marvelous view from the tube out into the ocean. If you are someone who loves picturesque and unique scenes, this is your spot.

If you leave by dawn, there is a possibility that you’ll arrive in Hana at noon just right for lunch. One of the hotels that has the loveliest and most enticing setting wherein you can relax yourself for the night is Hotel Hana-Maui. If you have no plans on staying a little longer, you can eat a sumptuous meal at Hana Ranch Restaurant.

After a much deserved meal, feast your eyes with beautiful works of art at the Hana Coast Gallery which is known for being one of the well-appreciated galleries in the heart of Hawaii. Being energized from lunch gives you more reason to take a 3-mile hike to the Fagan’s Cross that is perched on a high hill that is just above the soil of Hana. You will have a breathtaking view of the harbor of Hana and the coasts nearby.

The entire trip will have a total of 180 miles. This encompasses the trip from West Maui going to Hana and around the southernmost part of East Maui. The trip may give you some hard time manipulating your vehicle and getting to one place in very sweaty underpants but hey, it’s worth the travel. Your experience can’t be replaced by just sitting in one corner and moping about how dangerous the curves are. You will never regret visiting Hana in Maui, Hawaii and that is an assurance.

7 Safety Tips when Riding in a Foreign Taxi

If you are going overseas on your honeymoon, or to any foreign country, taxis will be part of your trip. Chances are you will not be renting a car. The hotel shuttles we are all accustomed to here in the US are a rarity in foreign countries. Riding a taxi can generally be safe. It’s at least safer than journeying through the subway with your luggage and other travel paraphernalia.

But lets be honest, there are things, bad things, that can happen when riding in a foreign taxi. You’ve probably heard the reports of kidnappings by taxi drivers in the news. If you’ve spent the last year of your life planning your wedding, had your big wedding day, then hopped a plane and flown several hours to your honeymoon destination, you are going to be very tired and very probably jet lagged. In this state, your normal street defenses are very likely to be impaired and small details that you normally would notice as red flags may escape you. Before boarding any kind of vehicle, consider your safety first and then be alert about your surroundings when traveling. The good thing, in this case, is there are two of you– if you both use your common sense, you will be safe.

Tip # 1 – Locate a taxi stand.

If you just came out of the airport, you can easily find taxi stands in and around the area. It will be a bit similar to what you have in your country. You just look for the line of taxis under a sign that you probably won’t be able to read and that will probably be it. If unsure, ask a policeman or security guard. In general terms, only cabs that are authorized by the government to board passengers are the ones that can park under these stands. This also means that the taxi driver is licensed. Never let drivers that are aggressive bully you into riding with them. They might have a more sinister intention than bringing you to your honeymoon destination.

Tip # 2 – Know something about the place where you’re heading.

You should have some general idea regarding how to reach your hotel or lodging destination. You can find foreign city maps on line, or you can contact the property where you are staying and ask for general directions. A few minutes invested in planning at home can prevent you from being taken advantage of there. Try to avoid shortcuts because this can confuse your memory and lead to other streets that you are unfamiliar with. Notice what direction you are traveling in. If you know from asking that your hotel is south and the taxi is going north be determined to ask about it. Otherwise, be prepared to make the cab stop if something seems wrong. As a last resort, jump out of your seat and ask for help.

Tip # 3 – Pay attention to cab similarities.

Look at the color of the taxi. Is it the same as the others? Do they have certain similarities that can reassure you that the cab is really safe? You can never trust a taxi that seems different from the others because in some places, thieves use fake cabs to get your money or sometimes more.

Tip # 4 – Keep your belongings close.

If you’re traveling abroad most likely you will have a lot of big, heavy luggage. It is probably not going to be possible for both of you and your luggage to be inside the cab. But at the very least, keep your carry ons with all your valuables and important papers inside with you. Keep them very close to you. Losing your papers and money in a foreign country is a far more serious matter than losing your luggage in case anything bad happens. This is why you should be very careful when selecting your cab in the first place.

Tip # 5 – Note phone numbers.

Taxi companies love advertising. That is why legitimate taxis are always plastered with company numbers either on the trunk, doors and roofs. Never get into a taxi that doesn’t have the company’s phone number on its interior or exterior surface.

Tip # 6 – Sharing alert.

Sharing your cab with someone can minimize your expenses and might give you a false sense of safety. Generally, you should not agree if your taxi driver wants someone to share with you no matter how
peaceful the stranger looks – especially in foreign countries. You could end up being kidnapped becausethe peaceful-faced stranger is wearing a mask and is actually a monster in league with the cab driver.

Tip # 7 – Pay attention to the door handle.

Open the door to the cab and check the inside door handle before allowing your luggage to be loaded into the trunk. Do not ride in a taxi when the door handle inside is malfunctioning or is broken. It would be very difficult for you to escape a predicament with a busted cab door.

Always have an emergency line where you can call local officials. When you are setting up your honeymoon trip abroad, be sure to ask for these numbers and check with your cell phone provider that your phone will have service where you’re journeying. If you use your common sense and plan ahead, especially in foreign countries, you will honeymoon safely.

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